ZOHD KOPILOT Flyaway

Firepowers

New member
After all the stabikizers/auto-pilots I have had I was reading the pots 180 degrees out. I could not see the two little dots on the pots. I thought they got it wrong and the bottom was the minimium areas for the pots. (Dumb %$^%^)

Last time I went flying I tried all positions in the 180 degrees and still could not get any sense out of it. So next time I am putting both pots very close to the top and see what happens. From what I understand when the pots are close to the top this is very little control by the controller and in theory get rid of the twitch in the air.

Thanks for advising yours twitch on the ground. Mine initially was too much twitch as I was reading the pots 180 degrees out.

I'll see what happens next time with both pots very close to the top.

Col


EDIT: I have stopped using the RTH feature after the fly away and lucky return but I have seen on youtube where some leave RTH on after launch and it quickly starts circling. Where the tail twitchs badly it has also been in Stabilized mode. Anyway will be all good next time. I hope.
 
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Hai-Lee

Old and Bold RC PILOT
After all the stabikizers/auto-pilots I have had I was reading the pots 180 degrees out. I could not see the two little dots on the pots. I thought they got it wrong and the bottom was the minimium areas for the pots. (Dumb %$^%^)

Last time I went flying I tried all positions in the 180 degrees and still could not get any sense out of it. So next time I am putting both pots very close to the top and see what happens. From what I understand when the pots are close to the top this is very little control by the controller and in theory get rid of the twitch in the air.

Thanks for advising yours twitch on the ground. Mine initially was too much twitch as I was reading the pots 180 degrees out.

I'll see what happens next time with both pots very close to the top.

Col
I struggled with the ZOHD setup for a club member who had asked me to fit one for him. It was maidened with the ZOHD this morning and it performed well above the members requirements. Further testing will be occurring this weekend to check out the RTH and geofencing functions.

He is a beginner/student and he wanted the self righting feature of "Safe Mode" which the ZOHD emulates quite well.

Have fun!
 

Firepowers

New member
I struggled with the ZOHD setup for a club member who had asked me to fit one for him. It was maidened with the ZOHD this morning and it performed well above the members requirements. Further testing will be occurring this weekend to check out the RTH and geofencing functions.

He is a beginner/student and he wanted the self righting feature of "Safe Mode" which the ZOHD emulates quite well.

Have fun!
Thanks for doing the calibrations on mine today and looks like I have a winner but more testing to go yet. At least 90% of the vibrations are gone which is my main problem.

Looks like doing the both calibratins every time you fly, as you say, may be the secret.

Thanks
Col
 

Hai-Lee

Old and Bold RC PILOT
Thanks for doing the calibrations on mine today and looks like I have a winner but more testing to go yet. At least 90% of the vibrations are gone which is my main problem.

Looks like doing the both calibratins every time you fly, as you say, may be the secret.

Thanks
Col
Its still something I am working through BUT as I am setting up and flying other peoples planes for them I do not like taking anything for granted. I only do the calibrations because I do not want to risk it just yet, though I do think that once everything is properly dialled in the calibration will not need to be continually repeated.

You still need to turn the gain down slightly on the wing you were flying BUT the settings or gain positions will only be relevant to the wing as planes with greater mass and different control response rates will of course require different gain settings.

We will be down at the same field again on Friday if you wish to have another bash at getting it dialled in properly.

What else do you have in your Hangar?

Have fun!
 

Firepowers

New member
Thanks but not sure if I can make Friday but will make it to the other field on Sunday.

"What else do you have in your Hangar? " Well quite a few.

- A powered glider like what you were working on this morning but thinner wing and more streamlined.
- T720 plane with stabilization (works good) :)
- EasyGlider
- C-Ray wing
- Small CUB
- Bonsai wing with FPV.
- DragonFly which takes off on water
- AXN CloudsFly
- Bixler2 with FPV and OSD
- Bix 3
- two Mini Swift wings
- Z84 wing
- SkyWalker X5 wing with FPV and OSD
- 3D plane - not fitter out yet
- Yak 54 - good looking one
- Stormer 3.5cc glo plug motor
- Plane with a foam wing I cut out with a powered heated jug element
- Three ElleBee wings
- Two stick bodied planes
- Unknown small wing
- Mini TransStar with stabilization
- ZOHD Orbit
- Kermit racing quad
- Six racing quads with FPV and two with RTH.
- Tiny Hawk quad - brushless
- Leader 120 quad
- Ten small toy quads

Just a few. :) Guess you have collected a few also?

Col
 

Hai-Lee

Old and Bold RC PILOT
Collected a few, built many and have given away more than I can remember. Now the list of rebuilds/repairs/rescues is getting almost as large.

Setup and maidened even more for others as you might have noticed/observed my getting involved in at the field for one of the student pilots.

Your list looks expensive and extensive but you need to add a few FB planes for the days when flying is not really recommended.

Have fun!
 

Hondo76251

Legendary member
...you need to add a few FB planes for the days when flying is not really recommended.
I second that!

the RC truck guys call em Bashers, less expensive but durable, the kind you can really rip on guilt free...

it's hard to have more fun than taking a plane who's sole purpose is to see how far you can push it before you crash and tying things you'd never think of doing with expensive gear...
 

Hai-Lee

Old and Bold RC PILOT
Just an update on the Beginner/student and the ZOHD.

It is setup in a second hand Trojan, (fixed undercarriage, often crashed and repaired in the past).

The trojan was firstly test flown to ensure the correct functioning of the stabiliser and the setup/trim. After the test flight the student was given uninterrupted and sole control where upon he had three flights in rather windy conditions.

He was able to take off extremely well, climb out and joined the circuit easily. He was so in control he was able to even experiment with the controls during flight as the ZOHD would restore the plane the moment the control sticks were released.

Finally he was able to line the plane up on the landing area and land the plane with a precision that most would envy.

He used three fully batteries and was so pleased he is still talking about the experience.

The stabiliser helped massively during the take off and the landing was almost totally controlled by the stabiliser alone.

It looks like I will have another dozen of so to fit to his other planes.

Have fun!
 

Firepowers

New member
That's great it is flying good with the Kopilot.

I was a bit slow and did not realise the plane I saw at Degon the other day was the plane being spoken about here. I thought sumone was someone else somewhere in the world.

Good it turned out great.

Edit: I just dripped around to Rogan Road field but looks like too wet for everyone. Catch up with you again soon.
 
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Hai-Lee

Old and Bold RC PILOT
Sumone is not the trainee aforementioned and of course I am not sumone!

Pity today is too wet to fly here!:(:cry:

Have fun!
 

sumone

Active member
Hi sumone

What radio do you have? Spektrum?

Did you set Failsafe on the receiver? Not sure if it was RTH or Failsafe that saved me.

Col
I was using A Taranis QX7 with a X8R receiver.
I have Re- wired everything and I'm powering the receiver and Kopilot with a UBEC and have set failsafe on the receiver.
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Firepowers

New member
Good TX, RX and plane. Nicely fitted out but I am not sure on that UBEC.

It looks to be a very cheap 3amp UBEC. I may be wrong but if it is the one in the speed controller is probably as good and more reliable. Is this the one?

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/400..._expid=ea61ff05-3443-4540-a290-349424db64a1-0

That one would not be good enough for that plane with that gear in it. In all my big planes I always use the ones in the photo which are 10 amp but one at least 5 amp or higher would be better. They are expensive but you could find a cheaper one of at least 5amp and a switching one.
http://www.castlecreations.com/en/cc-bec-010-0004-00

Remember to set up a UBec as mentioned on Page 1 - Item 5 and Item 11 advising you need to disconnect the positive and negetive and only use the signal wire from the ESC.

Following is some information on BEC testing. It might be interesting but a bit old. Just read the first post and click on the links to see if they are good or bad.

https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/sho...3-2011-first-post-now-has-a-list-of-all-tests

Some will say the Hobbywing is good but the Kopilot may have pushed the amps too far on it. But really $3.39 for a UBEC to power a really nice plane like that.

All the best.

Col



EDIT: Here is my old daggy AXN Floater I used to use to attach and test different things but even on top of the ESC is a Castle Creations BEC. I like to make sure I will not have any problems with my planes. The ESC and BECs need airflow. I made sure of it with this plane but it was not a nice looking one like yours. Are there any holes in the fuselage for the air to flow over them?
 

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sumone

Active member
Over the last few years I have often thought about making the trip to deagon and having a fly with your group (only 15-20 minutes away)
But after reading your post about the club and not knowing if things had improved i took your advice and found other groups to fly with.

Would you say things have improved much at your club since this post ?.
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Hai-Lee

Old and Bold RC PILOT
Over the last few years I have often thought about making the trip to deagon and having a fly with your group (only 15-20 minutes away)
But after reading your post about the club and not knowing if things had improved i took your advice and found other groups to fly with.

Would you say things have improved much at your club since this post ?.
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Changed? I would say very much so. I decided to fight for the club I wanted and stayed to get the changes required from the inside. Later that year I became a committee member and remain so to this day.

Membership did drop early on due to attitudes and in fighting but now the membership is growing! Now I teach others to fly and one of my current students started flying solo, (crash free), this week.

The club has 2 active flying fields both approved under the local council rules and one actually provided by the council. The club has even received some assistance from the state government. There are still a few minor battles to be had but they are less and less now as the club is getting larger and a few of those causing the initial issues fade from the scene if not the club itself.

The club is also moving on competencies and testing supported by our insurer. We must be doing something right!

Mind you it has been hard work but the result makes it all worth it. Rapidly becoming a fun day out for all concerned. Heck even got a few families flying together as families!

Just pop down and have a look, you need not commit yourself but you are welcome to fly on one of our flying days. Sadly the fields are, (under council by-laws), not accessible for RC aircraft flying unless a member of the club. We do get a few inspectors from time to time, BUT you are welcome to test fly on any day that club members are present. (Just a way to get around the by-laws LEGALLY).

You are welcome any time!

have fun!
 

sumone

Active member
Good TX, RX and plane. Nicely fitted out but I am not sure on that UBEC.

It looks to be a very cheap 3amp UBEC. I may be wrong

Yep thats the one cost me $3.

I followed the setup for the BEC as described in the posts on page one. all works fine.
The 30 Amp ESC from the original setup is toasted so it now has a 50 Amp ESC no BEC.
Your right , I will find a higher rated BEC.
Thanks for the tip.
 

sumone

Active member
Changed? I would say very much so. I decided to fight for the club I wanted and stayed to get the changes required from the inside. Later that year I became a committee member and remain so to this day.

Really glad to hear that Hai-lee.(y)
I might stop by one weekend and have a look .
 

Hai-Lee

Old and Bold RC PILOT
Really glad to hear that Hai-lee.(y)
I might stop by one weekend and have a look .
Weekends during summer see the fields used for Cricket so we fly at the main alternate, (Bill Brown just off Roghan road).

You are welcome anytime!

Have fun!